Anyone interested in serial controlled Relay/Input card? - Page 10

brooksware2000 · 10-30-2004, 08:15 PM

Hey guys, I'ma jump into this discussion. Ricky327 and I have been conversing for some time now on the serial relay controller. We both have made a lot of headway on it with similar but different designs. Check out my website for a writeup and schematic for the proposed controller that I am building. I have the schematic, command set (Will be final once I finish fine tuning the controller code), and sample VB code to talk to the controller. Hopefully I'll have the code done this weekend and the PCB posted. In fact, the PCB will be posted as soon as I send it to Ricky327 to scan for errors. It's always nice to have others to check your work. According to my design, the relays will be on a separated card that you connect to the controller card. The decision for this was to cut down on the cost of the PCBs and allow others to use their own relays. The project is free for use to all, just don't try to profit from it. Anyone that wants to assist or have ideas please email me or post to forums. Ricky and I will continue to plug away at this until it is done. Once the PCBs are finished I will post a group buy so that they will be cheaper. Also, the PIC code will be on the site and I will offer to program chips for others at the cost of the chips and cost of shiping. Again, no profit for me.

The website is.. www.hobbybotics.com.

The schematics are in the documents section of the site.

Also, I will be posting a parallel port version of the controller card with VB code for both types of cards.

kiltjim · 10-30-2004, 08:35 PM

I just looked at the schematics, and all I have to say is wow. This is so simple. Once the PCB layout and code comes out, this will definetly be an awesome board.

And the source you have makes it pretty easy. I was going a different route, incorporating some of the other code I had started with my prototype board.

Keep going guys! I can tell you are almost there.

brooksware2000 · 10-30-2004, 09:26 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kiltjim

I just looked at the schematics, and all I have to say is wow. This is so simple. Once the PCB layout and code comes out, this will definetly be an awesome board.

And the source you have makes it pretty easy. I was going a different route, incorporating some of the other code I had started with my prototype board.

Keep going guys! I can tell you are almost there.

yep, I am plugging away as we speak. Also, the controller is very simple thanks to the microcontroller. If you look at the schematics for v1.1 and 1.2 you'll see that one has LED status and the other does not. My thoughts, and Ricky agreed, is that the status can be read by the software so the LEDs are just eye candy.

Also guys, let me know what you think of the site design. I'm trying to make it as clean and simple as possible

kiltjim · 10-30-2004, 09:36 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by brooksware2000

the status can be read by the software so the LEDs are just eye candy.

Hey, eye candy is always a plus. Without a PCB desginer in front of me, I don't know how easy this would be to implement, but could you put in maybe the traces to include the LEDs, and make them optional? I've seen many a PCB board in my day, and they almost always have some of the circuit incomplete, maybe for optional add-ons, or from different versions of the board.

mushin · 10-30-2004, 09:53 PM

Great, looks like we'll have not one but two great solutions (God I hate saying "solutions", I sound like some IT hack

)

Brooksware2000, what feature differences are there, if any, between your design and Ricky327s, besides internal design and command set? And I like your site, it is indeed clean and simple (though maybe the spotlight can hold an image a tad longer? It's tough to get a good look at the pictures

)

brooksware2000 · 10-30-2004, 10:43 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by mushin

Great, looks like we'll have not one but two great solutions (God I hate saying "solutions", I sound like some IT hack

)

Brooksware2000, what feature differences are there, if any, between your design and Ricky327s, besides internal design and command set? And I like your site, it is indeed clean and simple (though maybe the spotlight can hold an image a tad longer? It's tough to get a good look at the pictures

)

The differences are the way the entire protocal is handled. In my version, the controller will not send/recieve commands the same way Ricky's does.

For instance:

to get status of all the relays you just send the appropriate command and the results returned would look like 11100011 if Relays 0,1,5,6,7 are on. All actions are based on a command and response. Sending cmd 0 to the controller will allow you to select a relay to turn on/off, send cmd 1 and all relays will turn on/off. read the writeup in this thread he has done on his controller and compare it to the writeup on my site. The differences should become more apparent.

There will be different versions of the card such as one with digital inputs, a simple serial controller with just on/off commands, and a parallel port version. All versions will have sample programs to use them and once complete I'll put together a program that can be embedded into the media programs in the forum.

Also, I'll fix the spotlight section, still have more project pics to put in that slide.

brooksware2000 · 10-30-2004, 10:45 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kiltjim

Hey, eye candy is always a plus. Without a PCB desginer in front of me, I don't know how easy this would be to implement, but could you put in maybe the traces to include the LEDs, and make them optional? I've seen many a PCB board in my day, and they almost always have some of the circuit incomplete, maybe for optional add-ons, or from different versions of the board.

Damn good idea, I'll be sure to do that.

kiltjim · 10-31-2004, 09:51 AM

@brooksware2000:

You know what you don't have listed in your command set? It doesn't show how to get the digital states. Also, you don't show analog inputs, is this correct? Just checking so that I can try to make the software I am making compatible with both boards, with a simple protocol selector or something.

kiltjim · 11-01-2004, 08:25 PM

I am getting to the point where I want to get a general options box completed, so that I can mark one more thing off the list. I was wondering what everyone wanted to use the digital inputs for.

I was thinking about it and put together a short list:

Parking Brake (for DVD disable)
Doors open/closed
Lights on/off
Engine on/off
An external switch panel

My software won't work unless the computer is on, so I am out of ideas as for what it could be used for. The way the communication is set up, it also does not allow for true communication, I guess. Meaning, I won't be able to read continuously. This means, that I could only use it for on/off types of things.

Any other suggestions?

Ricky327 · 11-01-2004, 08:30 PM

One input connected to reverse light is good. Auto pop-up reverse cam with timeout.

The reverse cam window dont dissappear until the timout expires, 5 second lets say.

Engine bay opened?

Ricky327 · 11-01-2004, 08:34 PM

Be aware that I have decided ( kinda

) the card will output a "READY" string after each completed commands.

So make sure the windows apps wait for this "READY" string from the card before issuing another one.

Any command being sent is going to be ignored by the card while its in progress finishing a command.

[iG] · 11-01-2004, 09:02 PM

Sorry if this has been answered already (it probably has..) but when will this board will be available? *the hardware part..*

Ricky327 · 11-01-2004, 09:05 PM

Itll be posted very soon

brooksware2000 · 11-02-2004, 12:28 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Ricky327

Be aware that I have decided ( kinda

) the card will output a "READY" string after each completed commands.

So make sure the windows apps wait for this "READY" string from the card before issuing another one.

Any command being sent is going to be ignored by the card while its in progress finishing a command.

Good choice, that is what I am doing. Just the card sends back the actual command to the calling VB routine to let it know it is ready. I've changed the code and command set a little bit (removed some functions that can be completed in code or by other routines). Will post that on the site tomorrow along with the first run of the controller code.

brooksware2000 · 11-02-2004, 12:32 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by kiltjim

@brooksware2000:

You know what you don't have listed in your command set? It doesn't show how to get the digital states. Also, you don't show analog inputs, is this correct? Just checking so that I can try to make the software I am making compatible with both boards, with a simple protocol selector or something.

The first version of the code will not include the digital inputs. Wanted to squeeze this out first and make sure it is operational. Once that is all gravy then I will finish the digital input function.

Question to those interested-is it a good idea to keep the relays off the main PCB so that you all will have a choice of what you want to use? My idea, and Ricky agree was that it will allow you all to place your relays on a cheep perf board or breadboard and run jumper wires to the main controller.